I am ordering my first plane, radio and accessories from Tower in the next day or so.

I am not planning to get a power panel/battery if I can help it because I have a cordless glow plug heater and a manual fuel pump. However, I need to get a starter of some kind.

Any recommendations on a good cordless starter?

The plane I'm getting is a Sig LT40 and a HiTec Eclipse 7 Radio..

yup, its called a chicken stick!

just use a screwdriver or something, as far as i know cordless starters don't exist...its too much weight with having the battery attacted to the back of it

just use a small screwdriver to flick start your engine, should work fine

This is about as close as you can get (I think). I bought the panel ready starter and the power pack as shown in the two different links below, (be sure to get the charger as well). I then cut the power cables on the starter and installed quick connectors on both ends. That way if the battery goes dead on the starter, you can re-attach the cord to the starter and use your power panel, (if and when you get one). Sullivan also has about the same type of set-up available.

Hope this helps...

http://www2.omnimodels.com/cgi-bin/w...I=HCAP3200&P=7


http://www2.omnimodels.com/cgi-bin/w...I=HCAP0901&P=7

T.

Since you are ordering from Tower this link may be helpful.

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0161p?&I=LZ1934

Cordless starters have been around for awhile. This starter will work fine with your setup. If you get into bigger stuff you may need to get a battery holder that will accept larger batteries.

http://www.ronlund.com/Merchant2/mer...ct_Code=KSJ454

Eric

I've been using a cordless starter for 6 of my 8 years in theis hobby/sport. I greatly prefer it over wires dragging around the prop! (Also a good reason to use a cordless glow driver.) Very convenient.

The one thing you MUST do is keep the 12 volt charged. This is also true of a 12 volt in a flight box, so it shouldn't be a big deal. If you don't fly during the winter, you still have to put it on a charger overnight once a month. I had to buy a new battery each year for the first two years until I figured this out. I've been using the current one for 4 years now.

Oh, and welcome to RCU and RC Flight!
Dennis-

What make and model are you using?

cordless starters, wow! never knew they existed,

hmm.....solar powered starters....? lol

Interestingly enough, my starter is the Tower Hobbies brand, which originally had the Hobbico power pack. I have since removed the Hobbico pack and wire tied a TorqueMaster 12 volt, gell cell, sealed lead acid battery directly to my starter.

This makes my starter package heavier, but it also has more power than the smaller Hobbico pack (which worked fine for a while). (I think the Hobbico battery is about 7 amps, while the battery I'm now using is more like 10 amps.)

I have let guys with fairly big engines borrow it at the field when their's is low on juice, and it seems to work well on engines up to at least 1.40 size. (It started a US Engines 41 cc engine once too.)
Dennis-

I recommend the Sullivan starter and battery pack. They seem stronger in running and construction. They are also the most popular at our field.
I also prefer NiCads to lead acid batteries. I had trouble with a couple and switched to NiCads. A little more expensive but a lot less trouble.
I do strongly recommend that you buy the manufacturers matching battery for whatever starter you get. Mixing and matching doesn't always work because the motor is probably designed around a certain voltage and current capability.
Good Luck,
KW_Counter

I've been using my Sullivan starter with a Hobbico battery pack for a few years now and have had no trouble with it whatever. At first I was concerned about the weight of the pack hanging underneath the starter (see the ad pictures in Tower) but it's not too heavy, and surprisingly enough I find it adds a bit of balance to the starter. Besides once the engine starts you're gonna set it down anyway. By the time you need it again you'll be back up to strength! Nice not to have any wires to hook up and fiddle with.

One of the guys at my field just has a gel cell battery connected to his starter with a roughly 4' cord. I think it's soldered together, or at least well connected. he just picks up the battery, puts it in front of the plane, just to the side, and starts, then picks up the battery and moves it and the starter to the side. I think I'd find it awkward, but he likes it. And if his engine dies while taxiing, he just runs back and grabs the battery and starter and brings it to the plane. Whatever works.

IMHO, a "cordless" starter is the only way to go! I've been using one for several years now and would not go back to a corded variety and panel.

My setup consists of the 12 volt starter, a rectangular piece of lexan, 12 volt 7ah battery and two large cable ties.

The rectangular piece of lexan is bolted to the bottom of the starter and then the battery is cable tied to the lexan. I've also drilled and tapped the lexan to hold extra glow plugs.

Works great. Very similar in theory to the hobbico power core setup but with 5.8 times the capacity.

While we're on the subject I was just wondering why nobody uses a cordless drill as a starter? The only thing I can think is it's to slow. Has anyone tried this?

Chris

I used one a few times on my heli before I got my cordless starter put together. It worked, but as you suggested it did not turn near the RPMs of a starter.

Eric

I use a Kavan 12v Starter, A guy had one and was starting a YS 140 with it with the battery pack with no trouble and I said I have to have one of those and love it to death. Half the size of the heavy starters we are all used too. http://www.centralhobbies.com/Electr...s/starter.html

Dauntae

Grampaw,
What battery have you got in that starter?
I had the same pack and it had a 1.2AH battery. I had to get it running and then put it in the nose cone to start it. That was on a 40, what would happen with a 60?
Finally burned up the second battery due to charging problems and went to the Sullivan pack with 12 NiCads, 16V over 12 made a big difference.
KW_Counter

Purchase the complete Sullivan package. It consists of the starter, battery pack, battery holder to fit the starter and a charger. It is the best and most popular on the market.

Ed S

Hey Shep, how about a pic of your cordless starter.

You guy's got me thinking.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Ed S,
I partially agree with your post.
Buy the Sullivan starter and battery pack. Then go online and buy the batteries, they'll be a lot cheaper. I paid about $3 each for 1800s, around 50% savings.
I think I got them from Battery USA, but there are a lot of places online, many get mentioned in these forums. There are a couple of forums that are primarilly dealing with electricity in some way.
Good Luck,
KW_Counter

I'll snap a pic tonight when I get home. Stay tuned!

Sorry for the delay in getting the pics posted, got sidetracked. [&:]

Real simple: 12 volt battery cable tied to a hunk of Lexan which is then bolted to the starter. I drilled and tapped some holes to hold spare plugs as well.

CS,
Nice clean setup. It looks like you could also drill a hole to hold your wireless glow starter. I have a small pipe clamp on mine for that purpose and it is very convenient.
KW_Counter

Here's mine. What can I say, I like working with wood.

something's wrong, having trouble downloading the pic?? Here it is.

my dad made me a thing that attached to a drill it was a piece of tube that fit around the spinner and the tube was attached to a round piece if wood that had a bolt through it and that went into the drill it worked quite well and had lots of power until the piece of wood broke in half and we didnt have any that size wood to replace it